How Flexible Was Your Nursing School???

Nursetastic · Aug 14, 2008

Today we actually got handed our botties right back after complaining about schedule changes and lack of timely communication regarding them. We were told flat out that we are to flex and bend when told but that the instructors are "volunteers" and "choose" to teach so they, in conjunction with the department head and dean, will set schedules and we are to follow them. Complaining will do no good at school or in the real world. Right now, it is kind of a toxic environment. Anyway, sorry for making a short answer so long. Basically, make sure you have a good day care and support system that are able to flex with you. Set up a study schedule and do your best to stick with it, give yourself down time (I don't study from 8-5 on Sundays as a rule). Most of all, smile and think of the rewards you will receive once you pass the NCLEX and get to provide wonderful patient care. :yeah: Oh....and add these boards to your favorites and visit often. These folks are wonderfully honest and supportive and have slapped me back in to reality a couple of times! :bow:

Sillynicunurse · Aug 14, 2008

My family understood that when I went back to school that I would miss sporting events, school plays, programs ect. The school I attended really didn't give any allowences for family ect. Example one of the girls became pregnant and was given the choice to sit out a semester or return to clinicals 1 week after giving birth. Another had to take a final the day following her father's funeral. His death was sudden and unexpected. The school felt they were being generous since the final was actually scheduled for the day that they were going to have her father's visitation so they allowed her that day and the day of the funeral. Best of luck.

rnmomtobe2010 · Aug 14, 2008

With all nursing schools, attendence is a must, but I think mine, from the way they were talking in orientation, is pretty flexible...They try and work your clincals around where you live, especially since alot of us are having long commutes...

Kiringat · Aug 14, 2008

Pretty much when they tell you to jump, you ask how high, where, and for how long. I didn't have kids/family to handle, and was in awe of the students who did. They got through with massive support systems (parents/grandparents/extended family) and scheduling (sp?).

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Aug 14, 2008

I didn't think nursing school was that bad. Some of the classes you didn't want to miss and some you could just show up for tests. Clinicals we could miss one day a semester.

I had 2 young girls and did fine. I didn't have to give up my social life or give up my family but my house stayed pretty messy most of the time and laundry didn't always get done (heck now that IM working full time it still doesn't always get done! LOL).

Class schedules are just set, not much choice in that matter (but that is just college in general, you take what they offer) and clinicals we didn't get much say in but they did try to accommodate you if you wanted day or evening clinicals...but they couldn't make everyone happy!

I enjoyed nursing school but was ready for it to be over.

You will do fine. Obviously each school is different though.

M

Riseupandnurse · Aug 14, 2008

Some students think schools should accommodate everybody's family and work preferences. "I know I'm not doing well in clinical today, but the hospital called me in yesterday evening so I worked night shift and didn't get any sleep." "I know the test is scheduled for today but my daughter wants me to to take her to the fair so I'll just take the test tomorrow." That gets very old very quick. "Flexible" can mean having no standards at all. Students should not be expected to come to clinicals or take tests if there is a death in the family, but other than that they need to honor the commitment to school they voluntarily undertook when they entered the program. If that's too inconvenient due to family or work obligations, then perhaps this is not a good time to be going to nursing school.

RNmom08 · Aug 14, 2008

My school - not at all. My family and I just simply MADE it work. We have 5 kids, I had no job so only hubby worked. We were totally broke and lived off of student loans and whatever we could scrape up. We went without. And as far as daycare, we had a back-up, a back-up for the back-up, a back-up for the back-up of the back-up... and so on. I simply didn't miss ANYTHING for nursing school at all. I recorded school programs and hubby took lots of pictures when I did have to miss. Somehow it all worked out and I ended up missing very little of the kids' events. Somedays, hubby even had to take vacation days so I could work on my school's schedule. And even between semesters, I was studying ahead for the next semester.

Good Luck and keep focused!

JessiekRN · Aug 14, 2008

I'm in exact agreement with Kiringat.. I loved my program and many elements of it but the attitude was more or less that school is the first priority, far and above all else, and that if we couldn't handle the obstacles, unexpected events, and basically dedicating our entire life to NS, we just didn't want it badly enough and it was then, see you later. Our second semester they put about half the class into night clinicals, even though we were a DAY program, without any preparation or word about it beforehand. Several girls with families or other jobs simply could not manage night clinicals- the worst part is that some of the girls who got put on days were willing to switch with the night girls but the professors wouldn't hear of it, it was that you had to take what you were assigned. One girl had to drop the entire program. So, I guess it depends on your program, but if it's anything like mine, look out and I hope you have no other committments for 2 or 4 years :)

ilstu99 · Aug 14, 2008

I have been told that nursing school is quite uptight and has little room for flexibility on your part, but that you must be flexible and available for them.

Yeah...that sounds about right. My school really tried to make things work for us, but there really are just a bunch of things you have to knuckle under and do.

Schools are at the mercy of clinical sites, instructor schedules (most of ours are still practicing) and school calendars. If they tried to fit students's schedules, too....there'd never be any class. Sometimes, you need a specific kind of rotation, and you just have to go to the hospital that has what you need, on the day that's open. In the middle of all that, you have to find lab time and classroom time. Not a lot of room for flexibility.

For me....the biggest challenge was scheduling my time wisely, without excluding my family. I studied between classes instead of hanging out to talk....in the car during family trips....I studied whenever I could....outside of my time "family only" time. I just committed to a specific amount of just-family time, and stuck to it. That's not to say that I didn't study when my kids were around, but I just included them in what I was doing. I would bet they know about more A&P than any of their friends!

Part of that including meant they knew when my classes and tests were, and that I would have to miss some things that felt very important. I just made the things I could, and tried to remember that....while it felt like I was letting them down....I wasn't at all. THEY are one of the largest reasons I went to NS in the first place.

Sl1011 · Aug 14, 2008

Thanks for all the replies.... So did any of you work during nursing school? I don't plan to have a steady part-time job, but maybe just babysitting, working at the hospital, or PRN CNA work in a home setting through a staffing agency. I'm a little nervous thinking about all this, and I know it will be really hard, but I'm still nervous I heard from several former ADN students that the school I'm applying to is much more flexible than the school I'm in right now. But we'll see.